A. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to a flashlight with a built-in reflector configured to reduce the volume and dimensions of the flashlight and more particularly to a flashlight with a reflector having the shape of a geometric solid cut along a plane parallel to a longitudinal axis thereof.
B. Description of the Prior Art
Traditional flashlights are normally provided with a reflector having rotational symmetry. In other words, the reflector had the shape of a section of sphere, paraboloid or other similar curved surfaces formed by rotating a generatrix around a longitudinal axis passing through the bulb of the flashlight. A major problem with this type of reflectors has been that they had to be extensive to capture and redirect substantially all the light generated by the bulb. Because of their circular symmetry, the reflectors were very bulky, occupying a large portion of the volume of the flashlight. Other types of reflectors have been generally known in various related arts, but none of these known shapes are applicable to flashlights. Some references disclosing various devices with reflectors are summarized below.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,445,306 discloses a headlamp with a semiparaboloid or semielipsoid reflector surface of revolution and plane reflective surface forming a hood.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,225,032 discloses a reflector which may be used either for a headlight or a stationary ceiling light having two hemispherical surfaces with perpendicular axes.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,517,631 discloses a convoluted reflector for dispersing the light from a tubular light source such as a fluorescent lamp.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,211,750, 1,730,571 and 1,948,680 disclose other convoluted or sectioned reflectors. In general, headlights and stationary lamps are required to produce a divergent light beam, as compared to flashlights.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,866,083 discloses a "folded" flashlight with a battery and reflector lying side-by-side rather than end-to-end. However, the reflector is cylindrical and is shaped to project a light beam at a right angle rather than in parallel with the battery. As a result, the beam from the flashlight is very diffused.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,758,773 and 2,261,000 disclose flashlights with reflectors having sectional paraboloidal shapes. The reflector and batteries are disposed end-to-end.